Bible Verse: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:10)
Scripture Reading: Acts 2:42-47
My guitar teacher told me Jack Semple’s story. Semple had the skill to play guitar in Nashville among the greats, but he chose to keep living in Saskatchewan because of crucial relationships in his life. I once went to a pub to see him shred solos on his guitar, but years later, it’s a chorus he sang that stands out above all else: “People, not things, that’s what it’s all about.”
Among Jesus’ most revolutionary social teachings in any age is His teaching about money. We love money too much, and we’re less human and less His because of it. Money and possessions aren’t inherently evil; they are good and necessary, but also dangerous. They’re like a table saw — a tool you can’t go without if you’re building a home, but many people have also cut off their thumbs using them.
We might go a thousand directions diagnosing and treating our love of money malady. For now, let’s keep it simple.
Live more simply, give more generously, and get more of the eternal life with God.
Live more simply. This means less stuff, less spending, less fancy, less expensive… just less. Jesus lived a much simpler life than any of us, and He had the most abundant life ever lived.
Give more generously. During the Great Depression, the average level of giving in North America was greater than it is today. When asked how much wealth would be enough, the unfathomably rich John D. Rockefeller answered, “A little more.” Most of us would be well served to reverse the question and answer the same. How much giving is “enough?” Start with “A little more,” and see where Jesus takes you.
Get more of the eternal life with God. The great surprise of those who learn to live simply and generously as they dwell in the shocking love of God is that they aren’t poorer for it. Paul writes that Jesus became poor and that we who were poor might become rich (2Corinthians 8:9). The more we follow Jesus with our wealth, the more human we will become. Jesus lived more simply than we ever will and gave more generously than we can understand. Jesus had the most abundant life of all, and He’s inviting us to follow.
Prayer: Lord, this is a difficult word. I like my savings, my stuff, and my freedom to spend. Show me the beauty of simplicity. Pitch the wonder of eternal and generous living anew to my soul. Holy Spirit, help me to change. Amen.
Reflection: What does money mean to you? For many of us, money is particularly connected to one of the following: freedom, security, pleasure, adventure, control, flexibility, and/or comfort (the list goes on). Once you know what particular significance money has for you, consider whether God might want to give you the same thing in a different way in life with Him.
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